Hey my lovelies, so what you probably wont know about me is that I grew up on a small Island in the Western Isles/ Outer Hebrides. I thought I would do a quick little post on this picturesque Island that I am proud to call my childhood home...
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| Lochboisdale - South Uist (Part of Ben Kenneth) |
Growing up on an Island you learn to appreciate a LOT of stuff! Most people would think it crazy not to have a choice of nearby shops to choose where you will get your weekly shop from, or cinemas, fast food chains, retail stores, pharmacy's, the list is endless. But for every one of these commercial buildings we have something entirely different, a small utopia if you will. Stretching only 124 square miles, and with a teeny population of under 1800 people South Uist is a stunning Island. I can hardly explain how beautiful the Summer months at home are. The sun glistening upon the many blue lochs dotted across the Island, the warmth of the sand on one of the many beaches surrounding the island and the smell of disposable BBQ's as everyone takes the opportunist moment with the good weather.
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| Kilbride Beach - South Uist |
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| The Machair - South Uist |
South Uist has a number of sites of archaeological interest, it is the only place in Britain where prehistoric mummies have been found! Pretty sure this is where I first found my interest in archaeology, which clearly didn't last long! Beauty Therapy,my current study, is a whole world apart from this.
It is also one of the last remaining strongholds of Scottish Gaelic. Unfortunately my Gaelic vocabulary is extremely limited, Although it was my fathers first language I was just not brought up with it in my house, minus the random word thrown in such as when you were younger and about to touch something hot and someone would shout "teth teth" at you. Although I don't speak Gaelic this doesn't stop the older generation asking "A bheil Gaidhlig agaibh?" which means do you have Gaelic, even once you answer no they will continue to speak in Gaelic no matter how many times you give your reply in English.
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| A South Uist Beach late Evening |
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| My wee Dog Strolling along the Beach |
For fun on the Islands when the weather is good most people will go down to the nearest Beach and sunbathe, go swimming in the sea, go pier jumping or go for a walk up a nearby hill. Almost every year in my childhood I would have climbed up the nearest hill to my house which is Ben Kenneth.Ben Kenneth is 275m in height and every year on the first Sunday of August there is an annual Hill Race. This is a pretty popular event for the islands and many people try and complete the race at least once. I've promised myself since the age of 16 which is the entry age that I would one day achieve this. Next year is 100% the year I will, hopefully...
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| A View from near the top of Ben Kenneth |
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| The Journey over to Ben Kenneth is not the easiest or cleanest |
Since moving from the Islands after I finished school, first to Aberdeen and now Glasgow I hardly manage to get home for a visit. I have a really bad habit of when I become homesick listening to Gaelic music over and over, its fastly becoming my new favourite playlist on my phone! Anything is on this playlist from Manran to Runrig, but of all the Gaelic singers my favourtie also comes from Uist (just not South Uist!) Julie Fowlis who has the best version of Eilean Uibhist Mo Ruin I have heard to date. If you are interested in hearing a bit of Gaelic music you can look this up, its a song written about Uist.
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| A View from Ben Kenneth - South Uist |
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| Ben Kenneth looking down on Lochboisdale - South Uist |
I have to admit there really is nothing like my Home. And I wouldn't change where I was from for the world!
Stay Beautiful,
Shona Marie xo
